Utility tubs



B. E. MUSTEE UTILITY TUBS Aug. 1, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1964 7 INVENTOR BEE/VA 20 E. Musree m W Aug. 1, 1967 B. E. MUSTEE 3,333,282

UTILITY TUBS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. BEENAE'D E. MU5TEE ATTORNEY-9.

1967 B. E. MUSTEE 3,333,282

UTILITY TUBS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Bee/wen E, Musrse ATTOENEKE Aug. 1, 1967 B. E. MUSTEE 3,333,282

UTILITY TUBS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 'EE-E INVENTOR. 562N420 E. Musree B. E. MUSTEE Aug. 1, 1967 UTILITY TUBS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 24, 1964 EE-Q INVENTOR. BEENA/ZD E. M05755 M AQAM/ I ATTORNEY-5.

Q Aug. 1, 1967 B. E. MUSTEE 3,333,282

UTILITY TUBS Filed Aug. 24, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I N VEN TOR. 552N420 E. MusTEE /fzzwvm ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiiee 3,333,282 Patented Aug. 1, 1967 3,333,282 UTILITY TUBS Bernard E. Mustee, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to E. L. Mustee & Sons, Inc. Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,529 18 Claims. (Cl. 4--187) This invention relates generally to utility tub constructions, and more specifically to a new and improved molded plastic utility tub construction and to utility tub assemblies embodying the new tub construction.

In the manufacture of laundry tubs, it is desirable to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive tub construction which has a back drain, that is, a drain located on the centerline of the tub near the rear Wall, and which, at the same time, can be firmly supported by legs or other structure so that the tub will not rotate or tilt during use. A back drain is desirable because the overflow tube, which is commonly used in association with modern washing machines of the type having a Water and suds saving feature, can be extended from the drain at an out-of-the way location in the tub. With the conventional construction in which the drain is located centrally in the bottom wall of the tub, the upstanding overflow tube forms an obstruction which prevents convenient use of the tub. Since the rinse water hose from the washer extends into the top of the overflow tube, a back drain also makes it possible to use a shorter hose and to place it at the back of the tub for convenience of the user.

Another important advantage of a tub having a back drain is that it facilitates use of the waste and storage Water control system disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,780,- 241, issued Feb. 5, 1957, to Bernard E. Mustee. As will be apparent from an examination of that patent, it is possible'to eliminate the need for a long hose connection leading from the rinse Water fixture on the tube to the overflow tube by locating the drain and tube near the rear wall.

The advantages of a back drain have been recognized by others in the art and various attempts have been made to provide such a construction. However, none of these attempts have been completely successful from both a functional and economical standpoint. The problem which has been faced by the art is that there has been no practical way prior to this invention of locating the drain at the back of the tub and, at the same time, anchoring the tub so that it will not rock or rotate on its base.

It has been conventional to support a single laundry tub on a separately fabricated metal base which engages the bottom Wall of the tub and is in turn supported by legs or a suitable cabinet. With a center drain the tub can be firmly mounted to the base by a drain plug and lock nut assembly or the like which secures the center of the bottom wall of the tub to the base. However, when it was attempted to locate the drain at the rear of the tub and secure it to the base in the same manner, it was found that the tub would rotate and rock on the base.

One prior attempt to overcome the foregoing problem was to bond the tubto the base, it being recognized that plastic tubs could not be secured by bolts and other conventional fasteners because of the difliculties involved in molding bolt holes, pads and bosses and preventing leakage around the fasteners. However, the bonding operation was expensive and not entirely effective, since the bond sometimes failed in use. Another attempt was to fabricate bases which conformed to the contour of the tub bottom. This also proved to be costly and not entirely satisfactory.

Another practical problem in the manufacture of laundry tubs is to provide a construction which can be economically packed and shipped. In order to reduce shipping costs, it has been conventional to nest several tubs one within the other in a single carton. However, it has been required to pack the metal bases and supporting legs separately, since there was no practical way of including this structure in the tub carton without scratching and damaging the tubs. When the tubs were sold in a store, the seller would unpack the separate cartons and usually place the legs and base within each tub. This practice also resulted in scratching and marring of the tabs.

The present invention overcomes all. of the foregoing problems and provides many advantages which have not been possible with conventional laundry tu'b constructions. In the preferred and disclosed embodiment of the invention, the new tub is a relatively inexpensive molded construction which has a back drain and is formed so that it can be firmly supported by legs or by a cabinet without the need of bolts, nuts, adhesives, or other fastening means.

More particularly, the invention contemplates a tub having an integrally molded base. The 'base includes leg pockets adapted to receive the upper ends of supporting legs or corresponding projections of a cabinet. As will hereinafter be described in greater detail, the formation of the leg pockets is such that the legs or cabinet projections can be simply inserted and locked in place to provide a rigid and sturdy tub assembly. Since the base is integral with the tub, there is no problem of rotating or lifting of the tub. Thus, the tub can be provided with a back drain. While this construction is preferred for the reasons given above, it will be seen that it is also possible to form the drain at any desired location in the bottom wall.

The elimination of a separate base has several other attendant advantages. For example, the cost of the tub is materially reduced over prior constructions. Another advantage is that the tub can be simply and inexpensively installed Without the need of assembling a base, attaching legs to the base, and then securing the tub to the base. Still further, there is a significant reduction in shipping costs. The new construction is such that the legs can be conveniently packed within the base against the bottom of the tub and four or more tubs nested in a single carton. Thus, the separate carton heretofore used for the bases and legs is eliminated. At the store the tubs can be unpacked from the carton as needed and handled by the purchaser with the legs still held in place. This eliminates damage to the tub both during shipment and when the tub is sold.

The molded tub construction comprising the invention is further characterized by thin Wall sections, lightness in weight, high tensile strength, and improved rigidity. Although'molded plastic tubs have been made prior to this invention, the usual practice has been to mold the tubs using a glass fiber reinforcing material which is laid up on a suitable form and then impregnated with resin. Another practice has been to mold the tubs using a suitable pre-mix material. The cost of the tubs made using reinforcing cloth is relatively high because of the labor involved. With both conventional practices, it is necessary to use relatively large amounts of material in order to obtain the necessary strength and rigidity, thereby adding to the Weight of the tubs. In accordance with the present invention, the new tub construction is relatively inexpensively and simply made using an injection moldable plastic. If desired, the tub may be peripherally braced by a metal rod which can be easily installed after the tub has been molded.

The invention also contemplates a new and improved double tub assembly utilizing the novel tub construction generally described above. Still another feature of the invention is a combined laundry tub and cabinet assembly. The cabinet is a simple knock-down construction which can be easily shipped and later assembled without the need of separate fasteners.

Additional features and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the preferred tub construction comprising one aspect of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the tub construction shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the tub construction shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIGURE '7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and shows the tub packed with cooperating legs for shipment;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a plurality of tub and leg assemblies packed for shipment;

FIGURE 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of a double tub assembly which comprises another aspect of this invention;

FIGURE 10 is an exploded perspective view of laundry tub and cabinet assembly which comprises still another aspect of this invention; and,

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the cabinet illustrated in FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-6 in particular, the preferred tub construction of the invention is indicated by reference numeral As generally described above, the tub 20' is preferably made of a suitable injection moldable plastic such as polypropylene or the like, although, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular material or, in its broader aspects, to an injection molded construction. However, such a construction is advantageous, since the tub can be molded with relatively thin walls on the order of one-eighth of an inch in thickness while still retaining the necessary strength and rigidity. In addition to affording a high strength-to-weight ratio which makes it possible to obtain considerable savings in both weight and cost of materials, the preferred tub 20 can be molded automatically, thereby providing a further savings in labor costs.

The illustrated tub 20 includes side walls 21-24 and a bottom wall 25. A rim 26 is formed around the top edges of the walls 21-23 and an integral ledge 27 extends beyond the wall which may be termed a rear wall for purposes of description. As most clearly shown in FIG. 4, the underside of the ledge 27 is provided with bracing 28 which includes corner flanges 29 that prevent dogearring of the ledge. Spaced apart mold rings 30 also are formed on the underside of the ledge for the purpose of mounting the faucets (not shown). During installation, holes are drilled through the ledge 27 into the rings 30 and the tapped ends of the faucets are inserted through the holes. The faucets are secured to the ledge by placing washers over the tapped ends in engagement with the rings 30 and threading nuts on the tapped ends against the washers.

The underside of the rim 26 is molded with spaced ribs each of which has a generally U-shaped slot 36 (FIG. 5). These rib formations 35 form clips by which a reinforcing rod 37 can be secured to the rim 26 after the tub has been molded. To this end, the slots 36 are preferably formed to have a width slightly less than the diameter of the rod 37. The plastic will deform to permit insertion of the rod into the slots and yet will tightly grip around the rod so that it is immovable, thereby affording a sturdy and rigid assembly. As shown, the rod 37 is U- shaped and extends around the walls 20-23; however, it should be poined out that it is not necessary for the legs of the rod to be coextensive with the walls 22 and 23.

The new and improved construction of this invention embodying the clip-in reinforcing rod 37 has advantages over a construction in which it is attempted to comold a reinforcing rod with the tub. It is expensive to mold a rod in the tub. Moreover, it is difiicult to comold a rod so thatit will not slip in the tub wall when deforming pressure is applied.

In accordance with the invention, a drain 40 formed with drain holes 41 is molded in bottom wall 25. The drain 40 is located on the centerline of the tub 20 adjacent the rear wall 24. With this so-called back drain construction, an overflow tube inserted into the drain will be in an out-of-the way location and will not interfere with convenient use of the tub. Further, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenient overhang of hoses which may extend from an associated washing machine to the overflow tube. The drain 40 is also molded with external threads 42 whereby the drain can be connected to the usual drain casting (not shown) without using the conventional drain plugs and associated structure.

In order to permit a back drain to be used, the tub 20 is molded with an integral base which is formed by a flange 45 that projects from the bottom wall 25. As shown, the base flange 25 extends below the walls 21-23 and terminates below the wall 24, thereby providing ready access to the drain 40. The four corners of the base flange 45 are formed with leg pockets 46. The leg pockets 46 are generally triangular in bottom plan view (FIG. 4) and are each defined by wall 47 that extends diagonally across the corner of the base flange. Preferably, the ends of each wall 47 extend a short distance parallel to the flange 45 so as to form a pair of slots 48 which are at right angles to each other and open into the pocket 46 defined by the base flange and the wall 47.

The underside of the bottom wall 25 is molded with ribs 50 which prevent upwardly bowing of the bottom wall, as would result in improper drainage from the tub 20. The ribs 50 include spaced, parallel members 51 which extend from one corner of the base flange 46 diagonally across the bottom wall of the tub to the opposite corner of the base flange. The members 51 project below the bottom wall of the tub and define a packing space 52 for the tub legs.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 and 8 which illustrate the convenient manner in which tubs constructed according to this invention can be packaged for shipment. The four supporting legs 55 for each tub, which may be of generally V-shaped cross-sectional configuration, are nested one within another and are placed in the space 52 between the members 51. A cardboard strip 56 or the like may be placed over the legs and the legs held between the members 51 by tape 57. Cardboard Us 58 also are preferably inserted into each leg pocket 46 so as to project a short distance outwardly of the base flange 45 and walls 47.

Thus assembled, a plurality of the tubs. 20 may be nested and packaged with the legs in a single carton. As most clearly shown in FIG. 8, the projecting cardboard Ls 58 abut the inner surfaces of the next lower tub to prevent the base flange 45 of the upper tub from engaging and scratching the lower one. When being sold, each tub assembly can be unpacked and conveniently handled by the user with the legs 55 still held in place between the members 51.

The tub 20 and legs 55 are simply assembled during installation by removing the legs from below the tub and inserting each leg into a pocket 46. The legs are locked in the pockets 46 by engaging the sides of the legs in the slots 48. In this manner a rigid tub and leg assembly is effected without using any separate fastener elements. Since, the base flange 45, including the pockets 46, is an integral part of the tub, there is no problem of preventing tub rotation and rocking, as has been encountered with conventional rear drain constructions.

' FIGURE 9 illustrates the preferred manner of connecting two of the tubs 20 to form a double tub assembly 70 and of mounting four legs 55 to complete the tub assembly. As shown in FIG. 9, the ledge portion 27 of each tub is partially cut off so the remaining shelf portions can be brought into edge abutment. A pair of connecting strips 72 and 73 of metal or the like are provided at the front and at the back of the abutting tubs for connecting the tubs along the adjoining portions of the base flanges 45. Each pair of connecting strips is arranged so that an outwardly bent end portion 72a of the strip 72 overlies an end portion of the strip 73 and so that the overlapping end portions bridge the space between the tubs. The pairs of strips are secured to the tubs by bolts or other suitable fasteners (not shown) which extend through the base flanges 415. Thus secured, the strips 72 and 73 serve as an effective means for rigidly connecting the tubs 20 in a manner which prevents relative movement. In order to facilitate packing, the lengths of the strips 72 and 73 are such that the strips can be placed within the confines of the single carton for the tubs. This can be accomplished for example, by placing the strips diagonally in the carton.

As described above, the legs 55 are of V-shaped crosssectional configuration and have upper ends adapted to fit into the pockets 46 with the sides of the legs being received in the slots 48. Because of this construction, each leg can be inserted easily into one of the pockets 46 at the perimeter of the tub assembly and the sides of the legs forced into the slots, whereby the legs are securely locked in their assembled position.

In FIGS. and 11, there is shown a single tub and cabinet assembly 80 which forms another aspect of the present invention. The cabinet of the assembly is designated by reference numeral 81 and includes side panels 82 and a hinged door 83 which serves as a front wall for the cabinet. The side panels 82 are connected together at the bottom of the cabinet by a front kick panel 84 and by a corresponding rear kick panel (not shown).

In accordance with the preferred construction of the cabinet 81, the side panels 82 have front and rear flanged edge portions 88 which define right angle corners. Each edge portion 88 is reversely bent to define an offset corner 89 and terminate at an edge 90 which is at right angles to the portion 88. As shown most clearly in FIG. 11, the edges 90 are cut away at the bottom of the cabinet to define tabs 91. The ends of both the front and rear kick panels are formed with slots 92 through which the tabs 91 may be inserted.

When made in the foregoing manner, the cabinet 81 may be conveniently shipped in a knocked-down condition with all of the elements disassembled. During assembly the kick panels are easily connected to the side panels 82 simply by inserting the tabs 91 through the slots 92 and then twisting the tabs. In this ways the kick panels and side walls are securely locked together without using any special fasteners, such as bolts, nuts and the like. The door 83 may be hingedly connected to the front kick panel 84- in a known manner by inserting a member 95 on the bottom of the door through a slot formed in a channel 96 which is secured to the kick panel. A hinged door assembly of this type, which may include a door balance and limit device, is more fully described in U.S. Patent No. 2,910,336, issued Oct. 27, 1959, to Bernard E. Mustee.

The corners of the side panels 82 are also provided with upwardly extending legs 98 which are similar to the upper ends of the previously described legs 55 and which are adapted to be received in the leg pockets 46 of the tub firmly to mount the tub on the assembled cabinet. In this embodiment of the invention, however, the front legs of the side panels are preferably formed with return flanges 99. When the legs 98 are inserted into the leg pockets, these flanges 99 engage the diagonal walls 47 of the leg pockets and thereby force the legs tightly against the right angle corners defined by the base flange 45. This maintains a square door opening for the door 83 and also enhances the rigidity of the cabinet and tub assembly.

Many other modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing detailed disclosure. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A molded plastic utility tub comprising:

(a) side walls,

(b) a bottom wall,

(0) said bottom wall having a drain opening, and

(d) le -securing structure on the undersurface of said bottom wall, said structure being disposed adjacent the corners of said tub for engaging said tub on supporting legs,

(c) said leg-securing structure adjacent each corner of said tub including portions defining slot-like openings shaped to receive edge portions of a tub-supporting leg.

2. The construction as claimed in claim 1 including a second tub corresponding to said first-mentioned tub, means connecting said tubs together, and legs supporting said connected tubs, said legs being engaged in said legsecuring structure adjacent the outside corners of said connected tubs.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connecting means comprises at least one connecting strip on opposite sides of said adjacent tubs, said strips being secured to portions of said tubs to connect said tubs together.

4. A tub as claimed in claim 1 including an externally threaded, tubular portion projecting below said bottom wall, said tubular portion being in communication with said drain opening and formed as an integral part of said bottom wall.

5. A tub as claimed in claim 1 including a rim extending along the upper edge of at least one side wall, and a reinforcing rod engaged on the undersurface of said rim.

6. A tub as claimed in claim 1 including:

(f) members formed on the undersurface of said bottom wall,

(g) said members defining means for securing tub supporting legs against said bottom wall so that said tub and the legs can be shipped together.

7. A utility tub comprising:

(a) side walls,

(b) a bottom wall,

(c) said bottom wall including a drain opening, and

(d) leg-securing structure integrally formed with said walls adjacent said bottom wall, said structure being formed to frictionally engage said tub on supporting legs,

(e) said leg-securing structure including:

(i) a base flange extending from the undersurface of said bottom wall, said base flange defining corners, and i (ii) a wall extending diagonally across each corner to define a pocket,

(iii) each of said diagonal walls including portions cooperating with said base flange to define slots which are at right angles to each other and open into said pocket.

8. The tub as claimed in claim 7 including:

(f) members formed on the undersurface of said bottom wall,

(g) said members defining means for securing tub supporting legs against said bottom wall so that said tub and the legs can be shipped together.

9. A tub as claimed in claim 7 including a rim around the upper edges of at least three of said side walls, and

a reinforcing rod located on the undersurface of said 10. A tub as claimed in claim 7 including tub supporting means comprising an element mounted in each of said pockets, said elements including portions engaged in said slots.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein said tub supporting means further includes a cabinet, said elements extending upwardly from the corners of said cabinet.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein said cabinet comprises panel members, cross members connecting said panel members, each of said panel members being connected to a cross member by means formed integrally with one of said members, and a door hingedly connected to said cabinet between said panel members.

13, A utility tub comprising:

(a) side walls,

(b) a bottom wall,

(c) said bottom Wall including a drain opening,

(d) leg-securing means forming an integral part of said tub,

(e) said leg-securing means including structure at the corners of said tub, said corner structures having openings adapted to receive the ends of tub-supporting legs,

(f) a rim on the upper edges of at least some of said side walls,

(g) ribs formed on the undersurface of said rim and extending thereacross, said ribs including slots, and,

(h) rod means frictionally engaged in said slots, said rod means extending around one of said side Walls and at least partially around the side walls adjacent said one wall.

14. A utility tub comprising:

(a) side Walls,

(b) a bottom wall,

(c) said bottom Wall including a drain opening,

(d) leg-securing means forming an integral part of said tub,

(e) said leg-securing means including structure at the corners of said tub, said corner structures having slot-like openings adapted to receive the ends of tubsupporting legs, and

(f) reinforcing members formed on the undersurface of said bottom wall,

(g) said members including parallel ribs spaced from each other and extending diagonally across the undersurface of said bottom Wall from one of said corners to another corner.

15. A utility tub formed of molded plastic and comprising side walls, a bottom wall, a rim formed on the upper edge of at least one of said side walls, a plurality of ribs formed on the undersurface of said rim, said ribs being spaced from each other and extending across said rim, said ribs including slots, and at least one rigid rod frictionally engaged in said slots to reinforce the upper edge of said one side wall.

16. A molded plastic utility tub comprising side walls, a bottom wall, and a drain molded in said bottom wall, said drain being formed as an integral part of said bottom wall and of the same material, and said drain including an externally threaded, tubular portion projecting below said bottom wall.

17. A molded plastic utility tub as claimed in claim 16 including a plurality of ribs projecting outwardly from said tubular portion of said drain, said ribs being formed integral with said bottom wall and said tubular portion.

18. A molded plastic utility tub as claimed in claim 17 including a base flange projecting below said bottom Wall, said base flange extending below at least three of said side walls and terminating below a fourth of said side walls to provide access to said portion of said drain.

References ited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,084,467 6/ 1937 Vogan. 2,256,891 9/1941 Burman 4-208 X 3,032,375 5/1962 Lalandre. 3,092,406 6/ 1963 Wasserstrom. 3,129,436 4/1964 Mustee 4-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,772 3/ 1959 Australia. 174,170 8/1952 Austria.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. J. GROSS, Examiner. 

1. A MOLDED PLASTIC UTILITY TUB COMPRISING: (A) SIDE WALLS, (B) A BOTTOM WALL, (C) SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING A DRAIN OPENING, AND (D) LEG-SECURING STRUCTURE ON THE UNDERSURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, SAID STRUCTURE BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE CORNERS OF SAID TUB FOR ENGAGING SAID TUB ON SUPPORTING LEGS, (E) SAID LEG-SECURING STRUCTURE ADJACENT EACH CORNER OF SAID TUB INCLUDING PORTIONS DEFINING SLOT-LIKE OPENINGS SHAPED TO RECEIVE EDGE PORTIONS OF A TUB-SUPPORTING LEG. 